Combination deck and hand searchlight



June 6, 1950 A, P, SAUER 2,510,320

COMBINATION DECK AND HAND SEARCHLIGHT Filed Oct. 29, 1948 INVENTOR.

ARTHUR? EAUER BY aw-MW ATTORNEY.

Patented June 6, 1950 CUMBINATIQN DECK AND HAND SEARCHLIGHT Arthur P.Sauer, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to The KilbormSauer Company,Fairfield, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October 29,1948, Serial No. 57,349

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a combination deck and handsearchlight, particularly of the marine type for mounting upon a boatdeck or the like and adapted to be manually 'manipulated to control thedirection of the searchlight beam.

An object of the invention is to provide a searchlight structureincluding a lamp unit and a mounting post, wherein the lamp unit isreadily removable from the mounting post so that it may be stored whennot in use. A further object is to provide electric contact meanscooperating between the post and the lamp-unit adapted to beautomatically connected upon assembly of the unit with the post, andfurther to provide such means which will permit free rotational movementof the searchlight unit in either direction through 360.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary portable socket member, intowhich the lamp unit may be inserted upon removal from the post, andwhereby the searchlight is converted from the deck-type searchlight to aportable hand searchlight. A further object is to provide a searchlightin which the operating parts and the electrical connections arecompletely closed, so that they are effectually protected against theentrance of water, salt spray and other deteriorating elements.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be 'finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a searchlight structure, according to theillustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, and showing the lampunit in assembled relation with the post for mounting upon a boat deck.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partially broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale,taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, also on an enlarged scale, takenalong the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 5 5 of Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partially broken away,

showing the lamp unit removed from the post.

Fig. 7 is a Side elevation, partially broken away showing the upper endof the post with a closure cap assembled therewith.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the auxiliary porta- 2 ble socket in whichthe lamp unit is adapted to be inserted.y

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the combination deck and hand searchlight,according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention,comprises a lamp casing I Il of conventional type provided with a sealedbeam type lamp elementY I I and an operating handle i 2, the lamp casingbeing provided in its lower side with a horizontally disposed attenedbearing portion I3 provided with a circular aperture I4 for receivingthe threaded stud I5 of a mounting head It. The mounting head extendsoutwardly at its upper end from the stud I5 for abutting engage- -mentwith the underside of the bearing portion I3, the head being secured tothe lamp casing by a washer I1 engaging the upper side of the bearingportion i3 and a nut i8 screwed upon the stud I5. The head I6 isprovided near its upper end with an annular abutment shoulder I9 and atits lower portion is slotted, as at 2U, to form a pair of leg portions2| and 22, the opposed inner surfaces of which are flat and parallel toeach other. The external surfaces of the leg portions are cylindricaland are engaged b-y a cylindrical tubular sleeve 23 to enclose the openends of the slot 2li, the upper edge of the sleeve engaging the shoulderI9 and being 4secured to the head by being soldered or brazed at itsupper edge to the shoulder I9 and at its inner circular surfaces to theouter cylinldrie-a1 surface of the leg portion 2 I, the cylindricalsurface of the leg portion portion 22 being unattached with respect tothe sleeve, so that it may have relative movement toward the leg 2|, aswill presently more fully appear. A verticalpassage 24 extends axiallythrough the threaded portion I5 to the upper end of the slot 20 forreceiving a conductor wire from the lamp, as will presently more fullyappear.

The leg portion 22 is provided with a cylindrical bolt-receiving hole 25and a cylindrical countersink recess 2E, and the sleeve 23 is providedwith a hole 21 registering with the counter-sink recess 26. A threadedhole 28 is provided in the leg portion 2l and the sleeve 23, in axialalignment with the hole 25, for receiving the threaded end of a headed.bolt 29, the head of which is adapted to seat within the counter-sinkrecess 22. By virtue of the fact that the leg portion 22 is unattachedto the sleeve 23, tighteningv of the bolt is adapted to force the legportion 22 toward the leg portion 2 I. A lock nut 30 is engaged upon thethreaded 3 end of the bolt 29 and seats upon a flattened surfaceprovided upon the sleeve 23.

Engaged between the leg portions 2| and 22 is the upper head portion 32of a plug member 33, this head portion being provided with a transversecylindrical passage 34 through which the bolt 29 is engaged. The forwardand rearward surfaces of the head portion are spherically formed, as at3'5, and the side surfaces are flat, as at 35, the latter being engagedby the flat side surfaces of the slot 25, and the spherical surfaces 35allowing relative tilting movement about the axis of the bolt 29 of thehead member l5 carrying the lamp casing. This tilting movement ispermitted when the bolt 29 is screwed outwardly to release the legportion 22, tightening of the bolt adapted to force the leg portion 22toward the leg portion 2l to thus bind against the head portion 32 tolock the position of tilting of the lamp casing.

Below the head portion 32 of the plug member there is provided acylindrical neck portion 31 which acts as a stop to limit the up anddown tilting of the lamp. Thelower end of the plug member is in the formof a cylindricalk plug portion 38 adapted to be insertedY in the upperend of the cylindrical tubular post 39, being provided at its upper endwith an annular fiange 40 having a recess 4I into which. the upper edgeof the post engages to thus provide a seal against the entrance ofwater. The post is of any suitable height, and at its lower end isprovided with a base d2 adapted to be attached by screws or the like tothe decl: of the boat.

The plug portion 38 is provided with an annular recess i3 in which isengaged a split ring member the latter being Aengageable by a set screw45' provided in the post, tightening of the set screw adapted tofrictionally bind the ring 4 against the interior of the post to thusretain the plug member against removal from the post while stillpermitting itY tok be freely turned in either direction through 360.shown clearly in Fig. 4, the set screw 45 projects inwardly of theouter'cylindrical surface ofthe plug portion 38, so that the plugportion is positively retained against removal. However upon looseningthe set screw the plug portion may be readily removed from the post.

A central vertical passage 45 extends upwardly through the plug vmemberand is provided at its lower end with an enlarged recess portion 41 inwhich is engaged an insulating bushing49. The upper end of the passage46 terminates above the bolt 29 and below the upper flat surface 49 ofthe plug member, and at one side of the bolt there is provided in thehead portion 36 of the plug member a vertical passage i) extendingdownwardly from the flat surface 49 and intersecting the passage 46. Acylindrical tubular bushing 5| is provided in the passage 50 and extendsfrom the upper flat surface 49 to a point in upwardly spaced relation tothe lower end of the passage 59, thus providing a wire-receiving passagethrough the plug member disposed at one side of the bolt 29 but out ofcontact therewith.

The insulation-covered conductor wire 52 secured to one binding post 53of the lamp extends downwardly through the passage 24 of the head memberand through the tube `5| at one side of the bolt 29, and thencedownwardly through the passage 45. The insulation covering of the wire52 is removed from its lower end and upon this bared portion of the wirethere is soldered a sleeve 54 having a lateral ange 55 at its upper AsVend and a flared flange 59 at its lower end, a contact button 5'! beingsecured within this flared lower end by being soldered to the end of thewire. The sleeve 54 is slidably engaged with the inwardly fianged upperend 58 of a bushing 59 engaged within the insulating bushing 48, thelower end of the bushing y59 being outwardly flanged, as at 60, toengage the lower end of the bushing 48. A helical spring 5| is disposedabout the sleeve 54 between the flange 58 and the ared ange 59, andnormally presses the contact button 5l of the wire outwardly whilepermitting it to yield inwardly upon pressure being applied to thecontact button 51.

Within the post 39 and seated upon an annular rib 52 thereof is acentrally apertured metal disk 53, provided with a central contactmember 64 insulated from the disk by insulation washers 55 and 55, thecontact member being in the form of a hollow rivet having its upper endriveted over upon the upper surface ofthe insulating washer 55, sothatit forms a contact sockety in which the contact button 5t' isVadapted to engage. A binding screw 5T. is provided in the lower side ofthe contact member 64 for'connection of the end of the conductor wire58, this conductor wire extending downwardly through the post to asuitable source of current. Another conductor wire 59 is secured bysoldering to the disk. 53, and also extends downwardly through the postto the source of current. The disk 53 is in current-conducting contactwith the post and through the metal-to-metal contact of the plug memberwith the post and with the head member IE provides electrical conductionto the lamp casing, to which the lamp is grounded at the opposite sidefrom its connection with the conductor wire 52 by a conductor wire "silconnected between the lamp and the lamp casing, being convenientlyconnected to the casing by engaging it beneath the washer Il.

In operation the lamp maybe tilted either upwardly or downwardly asdesired by vrloosening the bolt 29, and may be fixed at any desiredtilted po` sition by tightening the bolt 29. Through the handle I2 thelamp may be directed in any direction through free'rotation of the plugmember in the post, the electrical contact connection between the plugand the post permitting free-rotation through 360 in either direction.When not in use the lamp unit may be readily removed from the post forstorage and protection simply by loosening the set screw 45 and removingthe plug portion from the post. As shown in Fig. rI a closer cap il. maybe inserted in the upper end of the post to protect it againsttheentrance of water, this cap being provided with a recessed flange 'i2for sealing engagement with the upper edge of the post, and beingprovided with an annular recess '13 for locking engagement of the setscrew therewith.

In Fig. 8 there is illustratedv a portable socket member 'f4 ofsubstantially identical construction to the upper end portion of thepost 39,` its lower end being provided with a centrally apertured endwall 'l5 through-which the conductor wires 58 and 59 extend. The plugportion of thev lamp unit is inserted therein when it is desired to usethe lamp as a portable hand type searchlight or general utilitylamp.

I have illustrated and described a preferred andV satisfactoryembodiment of theY invention, but it will be understood that changes maybe'made therein within the spirit and scopethereof as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a searchlight, a lamp unit including a casing, a head membersecured to said casing, a plug member pivotally connected to said headmember having a cylindrical plug portion provided With an externalannular recess, a split ring engaged in said recess, a tubularcylindrical mounting member rotatably engageable by said cylindricalplug portion of said plug member and surrounding said split ring, and aset screw car ried by said mounting member engageable in said recess torestrain said plug member against axial movement while permitting it torotate, said set screw being engaged with the exterior surface of saidring to bind it within the space defined by Said annular recess and thesurrounding tubular mounting member.

2. In a searchlight, a lamp unit including a casing, a head membersecured to said casing'and having a wire-receiving passage therethroughand further having spaced leg portions defining a slot between them, asleeve surrounding said leg portions and enclosing the ends of saidslot, at least one of said leg portions being free of attachment at itsouter surface to said sleeve, a plug member having an apertured headportion engaged in said slot between said leg portions, a transversebolt extending between said leg portions and engaged through saidapertured head portion to permit relative pivotal movement of said lampunit relatively to said leg portion, tightening of said bolt adapted tobind said leg portions against the sides of said head portion to securethe lamp unit against tilting, said plug member having a wire-receiving'passage extending therethrough, a conductor wire extending from saidlamp unit through said passage of said head member and through saidpassage of plug member, and a tubular mounting member engageable by saidplug member.

3. In a searchlight, a lamp unit including a casing, a head membersecured in said casing and having a wire-receiving passage therethroughand further having spaced leg portions dening a slot between them, aplug member having an apertured head portion engaged in said slotbetween said leg portions, a transverse bolt extending between said legportions and engaged through said apertured head portion to permitrelative pivotal movement of said lamp unit relatively to said legportion, tightening of said bolt adapted to bind said leg portionsagainst the sides oi said head portion to Secure the lamp unit againsttilting, said plug member having an offset wire-receiving passageextending downward ly from its upper end at one side of said bolt and anaxial wire-receiving passage connected to said oil-set passage andextending downwardly there-x from to the lower end of said plug member,a sleeve xedly engaged in said off-set passage in laterally opposedrelation to said bolt, and a conductor-wire extending from said lampunit through said passage of said head member and through said passagesand sleeve of said plug member out of Contact with said bolt.

ARTHUR P. SAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,270,940 Godley July 2, 19181,880,730 Bogue Oct. 4, 19321, 1,987,117 Levesque Jan. 8, 1935 2,414,807Gross Jan. 28, 1947

